Daniil Medvedev is on course for his maiden Grand Slam title after surging through in straight-sets against Felix Auger-Aliassime; the 25-year-old will take on the winner of the second semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev
Friday 10 September 2021 23:06, UK
Daniil Medvedev showed his US Open credentials by marching into Sunday's men's singles final after a demolition job against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The Russian looked thoroughly impressive in the course of his 6-4 7-5 6-2 triumph, although he did have to recover from a break down and save two set points in the second set.
Medvedev is yet to win a Grand Slam final after losing in both his previous appearances at the same venue in 2019 and in Australia earlier this year.
It was the first Grand Slam semi-final for 21-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals earlier this year and has been hailed among the sport's brightest young stars.
But three double faults in the opening game, despite eventually holding, were indicative of the problems he would face, and Medvedev duly broke in the seventh to take a lead he would not relinquish.
The Canadian attempted a rash change in tactics in the second set, as he started to serve and volley, and remarkably it seemed to work as he began to pressure the Medvedev serve and broke on a double fault to take a 4-2 lead.
But he fluffed his lines when he served for the set, double-faulting at 30-0 then failing to put away either of his subsequent set point opportunities.
It proved the crucial moment in the match as Medvedev duly claimed back-to-back breaks to take the set and strangle any chance his inexperienced opponent had of pulling off an improbable victory.
"It was a strange match because I didn't feel like I played my best," said Medvedev, 25, who continues to look every inch a champion in the making.
"Everybody thought it was going to be one-set all but I managed to save the set points and the match turned around completely.
"At 5-4 I knew it was a very important point of the match where I had to do everything at my best, because that is the moment where I could break him mentally, and that's what happened."
After picking up his fourth Masters 1000 title in Toronto last month, he has dropped just one set through six rounds at Flushing Meadows and is looking to lift the trophy for the first time after losing in five sets to Rafael Nadal two years ago.
"Last time was a crazy match," Medvedev added. "If it's going to be the same match on Sunday, I just hope I can win this time."
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